COVID-19 strikes a second blow to NCAA Tournament. Event moves to one site in 2021.

Because of safety concerns related to the coronavirus pandemic, the NCAA is in discussions to move the entire 2021 NCAA Tournament to the Indianapolis area, it was announced Monday.

Lexington would be among the sites no longer in the plans. Rupp Arena was scheduled to be a site for first- and second-round games. So were Providence, Boise, Detroit, Dallas, Wichita, Raleigh and San Jose. The Sweet 16 and Elite Eight games were scheduled to be played at Minneapolis, Denver, Memphis and Brooklyn.

Now, the NCAA prefers that all games be played at one area with ongoing discussions centered solely on Indianapolis. As with all things COVID-related, that’s subject to change.

UK Director of Athletics Mitch Barnhart, who is chair of the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Committee (aka the Selection Committee) acknowledged the move would disrupt months of planning and wound Lexington’s pride in being a host city.

“Clearly, I know there’s disappointment on each of those communities’ hearts,” he said on a video teleconference Monday. “And it’s regret on our part. . . . But I don’t think there’s any surprise. . . .

“I’d tell our community to be ready to host again.”

Lexington and the other 2021 host cities will not be able to bid again until the 2027 NCAA Tournament.

The announcement came after the Division I Men’s Basketball Committee pondered contingency plans “to determine the most effective way to conduct a safe and healthy March Madness for all participants for the 2021 championship,” the NCAA news release said. “Through these discussions, it became apparent to the committee that conducting the championship at 13 preliminary round sites spread throughout the country would be very difficult to execute in the current pandemic environment. The committee has decided the championship should be held in a single geographic area to enhance the safety and well-being of the event.”

Other sites for the 2021 NCAA Tournament could be considered, said Dan Gavitt, the NCAA vice president for basketball. As of now, the focus is on Indianapolis.

The NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Committee is also considering one general location for its entire NCAA Tournament, Gavitt said.

Gavitt said there was no plan to delay the start of the 2020-21 men’s season, which is scheduled to start on Nov. 25. Former UK Coach Rick Pitino, who is about to enter his first season at Iona, recently tweeted that the season’s start should be delayed. He suggested a “May Madness.” Saying that 85 percent of FBS football games had been played as scheduled, Gavitt said he did not believe that a May Madness would occur even though more than 30 basketball teams have paused preseason practices because of positive tests for COVID.

But Gavitt gave himself wiggle room in ruling out such a change of plans.

“Until there is a vaccine, the possibility of this kind of disruption is going to be there whether in January, March or August,” he said.

The committee emphasized the importance of conducting the championship in a manageable geographic area that limits travel and provides a safe and controlled environment with competition and practice venues, medical resources and lodging for teams and officials all within proximity of one another.

The NCAA still plans for the usual 68-team field in 2021 with the first two weekends of games played in March and April. Indianapolis was already slated to host the Men’s Final Four from April 3-5, 2021.

One change caused by COVID will come before the first game. Because of the necessary testing, there could be a buffer of a week or so between Selection Sunday and the “first-four” games.

It’s a certainty the tournament will not start within two days of the Selection Committee process,” Gavitt said.

Although teams are not allowed to play NCAA Tournament games on their home courts, games at Indiana, Purdue and Butler would be considered, Gavitt said. Of a hypothetical of, say, Indiana or Purdue playing in Bloomington or West Lafayette, he added, “We’ll have to take a good look at that. These are unprecedented times.”

The NCAA could need as many as eight venues for first- and second-round games, Gavitt said. Plus, he added, “practice courts will be very numerous.” Teams that advanced to the Final Four would be required to stay in a so-called “bubble” for three-plus weeks, he said.

With only 27 regular-season games and the possibility of cancellations, there will be less information from which to determine selection and seeding.

“Some of those analytics tools may be compromised,” said Gavitt, adding that the committee may compensate with “significantly more observation of teams.”

Barnhart said his committee members had already been receiving many more calls than in a normal year.

“I know it will be difficult,” he said of the selection and seeding process. “Nothing is going to be easy about this tournament for anyone.”

Barnhart called for adaptability, flexibility and determination as keys to selection and seeding.

Of the 2021 NCAA Tournament, Gavitt said, “It’ll be different. It’ll be historic. And it’ll be hopefully something we’ll all treasure and experience just once.”

This story was originally published November 16, 2020 at 12:18 PM.